U.S. patent number 5,484,447 [Application Number 08/280,427] was granted by the patent office on 1996-01-16 for calipers for use in ophthalmic surgery.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Duckworth & Kent Limited. Invention is credited to John L. Pearce, Terence A. Waldock.
United States Patent |
5,484,447 |
Waldock , et al. |
January 16, 1996 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Calipers for use in ophthalmic surgery
Abstract
A caliper for ophthalmic surgery comprises a pair of arms which
are relatively pivotable, with each arm terminating at one end in a
tip, and with the tips being movable between closed and open
positions upon pivotal movement of the arms. The amount of pivoting
movement is controlled by an adjuster and a scale is provided to
give an indication of the amount of tip separation. The tips of the
arms are adapted to be insertable into an incision in eye tissue
and to open the incision to a predetermined dimension to permit the
insertion of an ocular lens. The tips may open the incision just by
a stretching of the eye tissue, for subsequent insertion of the
lens, or alternatively the tips may be provided with one or two
diamond blades which open the incision by a cutting of the eye
tissue.
Inventors: |
Waldock; Terence A.
(Meppershall, GB2), Pearce; John L. (Bromsgrove,
GB2) |
Assignee: |
Duckworth & Kent Limited
(GB2)
|
Family
ID: |
23073039 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/280,427 |
Filed: |
July 26, 1994 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
606/107; 33/511;
606/167; 606/198; 606/205 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B
17/0231 (20130101); A61F 2/1662 (20130101); A61F
9/013 (20130101); A61B 2090/061 (20160201) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
2/16 (20060101); A61F 9/013 (20060101); A61F
9/007 (20060101); A61B 17/02 (20060101); A61B
19/00 (20060101); A61B 017/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;606/107,161,167,172,174,191,198,205 ;33/511,512,783,807,808 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Rimell; Sam
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Seidel Gonda Lavorgna &
Monaco
Claims
We claim:
1. A caliper for ophthalmic surgery comprising a pair of arms which
are relatively pivotable about a pivot axis, each arm terminating
at one end in a tip with the tips movable between closed and open
positions upon said pivot movement, an outwardly directed cutting
blade carried by one of the tips, adjusting means to permit
controlled pivoting movement of said arms, and scale means to
provide an indication of the amount of tip separation, wherein the
tips of the arms are adapted to be insertable into an incision in
eye tissue and to open the incision to a predetermined dimension by
cutting to permit the insertion of an ocular lens.
2. A caliper according to claim 1, in which the cutting blade is a
diamond blade.
3. A caliper for ophthalmic surgery comprising a pair of arms which
are relatively pivotable about a pivot axis, each arm terminating
at one end in a tip with the tips movable between closed and open
positions upon said pivot movement, an outwardly directed cutting
blade carried by each tip, adjusting means to permit controlled
pivoting movement of said arms, and scale means to provide an
indication of the amount of tip separation, wherein the tips of the
arms are adapted to be insertable into an incision in eye tissue
and to open the incision to a predetermined dimension by cutting to
permit the insertion of an ocular lens.
4. A caliper according to claim 3, in which the cutting blades are
diamond blades.
5. A caliper for ophthalmic surgery comprising a pair of arms which
are relatively pivotable about a pivot axis, each arm terminating
at one end in a tip with the tips movable between closed and open
positions upon said pivot movement, in which the arms are arcuately
shaped at a position rearwardly of the tips to define an internal
pocket for an ocular lens and the arms have respective confronting
channels therein from the pocket to the forward end of the tips
through which the lens can slide upon insertion into the eye,
adjusting means to permit controlled pivoting movement of said
arms, and scale means to provide an indication of the amount of tip
separation, wherein the tips of the arms are adapted to be
insertable into an incision in eye tissue and to open the incision
to a predetermined dimension by cutting to permit the insertion of
an ocular lens.
6. A caliper according to claim 5, in which the tips extend at an
angle of the order of 30.degree. to the axes of the parts of the
arms to the rear of the tips.
7. A caliper for ophthalmic surgery comprising a pair of arms which
are relatively pivotable about a pivot axis, each arm terminating
at one end in a tip with the tips movable between closed and open
positions upon said pivot movement, in which one arm is a pointer
arm having a pointer at its end remote from the tip, and the other
arm is a scale arm carrying a scale at its end remote from the tip,
the pointer moving over the scale as pivoting of the arms takes
place wherein the scale arm carries an adjustable setting stop for
cooperative abutment by the pointer when a preselected position is
reached, an outwardly directed cutting blade carried by one of the
tips, adjusting means to permit controlled pivoting movement of
said arms, wherein the tips of the arms are adapted to be
insertable into an incision in eye tissue and to open the incision
to a predetermined dimension by cutting to permit the insertion of
an ocular lens.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to calipers for use in ophthalmic
surgery.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Calipers for use in ophthalmic surgery are known. Conventionally,
such calipers are used to measure an incision in the eye,
especially to measure the width of an incision prior to the
insertion of a lens. Other calipers are used as marking instruments
to make marks on the eye tissue to aid the surgeon in making an
incision.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
caliper for ophthalmic surgery which can be used as an aid in the
making of an incision to the desired dimension for the insertion of
an ocular lens. The calipers of the present invention are adapted
to be used in particular for ophthalmic surgery where the lens of
the eye is to be replaced by an artificial lens.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
caliper for ophthalmic surgery which enables an incision in the eye
tissue to be made to an extremely accurate dimension in a simple
and reliable way.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a caliper for
ophthalmic surgery comprising a pair of arms which are relatively
pivotable about a pivot axis, each arm terminating at one end in a
tip with the tips movable between closed and open positions upon
said pivoting movement, adjusting means to permit controlled
pivoting movement of said arms, and scale means to provide an
indication of the amount of tip separation, wherein the tips of the
arms are adapted to be insertable into an incision in eye tissue
and to open the incision to a predetermined dimension to permit the
insertion of an ocular lens.
In one embodiment of the invention the tips open the incision by a
stretching of the eye tissue.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the tips open the
incision by a cutting of the eye tissue, for example by the use of
a cutting blade, e.g. a diamond blade, on one or both of the tips
of the arms.
Preferably, one arm is a pointer arm having a pointer at its end
remote from the tip, and the other arm is a scale arm carrying a
scale at its end remote from the tip, with the pointer moving over
the scale as pivoting of the arms takes place. The scale arm may
carry an adjustable setting stop for cooperative abutment by the
pointer when the predetermined dimension is achieved.
The calipers of the present invention are preferably made of
titanium, with the use of diamond blades if the tips are provided
with a cutting function .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be fully understood, a description
will now be given of a number of embodiments of caliper in
accordance with the invention. These are given by way of example
and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the
drawings:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of caliper adapted to
assist in the insertion of a lens;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the forward end of the caliper of FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is an oblique view of the tip of the caliper of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of the tips of the caliper
arms;
FIG. 4A is an end view on an enlarged scale of the tips of the
caliper arms;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of caliper in
accordance with the invention, having a single cutting blade;
FIG. 6 is a view on an enlarged scale of the tip portion of the
caliper arms in FIG. 5;
FIG. 6A is an end view on an enlarged scale of the tip portion of
the caliper arms in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a third embodiment of caliper in
accordance with the invention, having two cutting blades;
FIG. 8 is a view on an enlarged scale of the tip portion of the
caliper of FIG. 7; and,
FIG. 8A is an end view on an enlarged scale of the tip portion of
the caliper of FIG. 7; and
FIG. 9 is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of caliper in
accordance with the invention having two cutting blades and with a
modified adjuster mechanism.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the various embodiments, the same or equivalent components are
given the same reference numerals.
Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is shown an embodiment of
caliper in accordance with the invention which is a lens insertion
caliper and which is designed to enable the surgeon to open an
incision by a stretching of the eye tissue, thereby to assist in
the insertion of a lens. The caliper comprises a pointer arm 10 and
a scale arm 12 which are connected for relative pivotal movement
about a pivot pin 14. The scale arm 12 is provided with an arcuate
extension 16 which bears scale markings which are indicative of the
separation of the arms at the tip end. The rearward end of the
pointer arm 10 moves in an arc and cooperates with the scale
markings on the scale arm extension 16. The rearward end of the
pointer arm 10 is provided with a centre mark 18 to enable the
exact dimension at the tip end to be read off.
The pivotal movement of the two arms 10 and 12 is controlled by an
adjuster mechanism indicated generally at 20. The pointer arm 10 is
fitted with a left-hand threaded nut 22 and the scale arm 12 is
fitted with a right-hand threaded nut 24. A first screw-threaded
rod 26 is associated with the left-hand threaded nut 22 and a
second screw-threaded rod 28 is associated with the right-hand
threaded nut 24. A knurled knob 30 is set between the adjacent ends
of the two rods 26 and 28. Thus, rotation of the knurled knob 30
will cause the two arms 10, 12 either to be drawn together or
pushed apart, with consequent movement at the tips of the arms.
The tip ends of the two arms 10 and 12 are turned up as shown most
clearly in FIG. 2, at an angle of about 30.degree. to the general
longitudinal axis of the arms. This is to assist in the insertion
of a lens using the caliper. The tips of the arms converge to meet
at the forward end when the caliper is closed. Each tip is of
substantially semi-circular cross-section, thereby to define a
central channel 32. To the rear of the actual tips, the arms are
each provided with an arcuate outward protuberance 34, 36. The
channels which run through the tips of the arms terminate in this
protuberant zone. The protuberant portions of the arms define an
internal pocket within which a lens can be positioned with the tips
closed. In use, after an initial incision has been made in the eye
tissue, for example in the cornea, the tips of the caliper are
inserted into the incision and by operation of the knurled knob 30
the tips are opened to the predetermined dimension, whereupon the
lens is able to slide from the pocket in the arms down through the
channel 32 and into place within the eye. The length of the tip
portion of each arm, from the forward end to the protuberant zone
34, 36, is of the order of 4 mm.
So far as materials are concerned, the caliper arms 10 and 12 are
preferably made of titanium. The adjusting rods 26 and 28 and the
knob 30 are preferably coated with titanium nitride.
A second embodiment of caliper in accordance with the invention is
shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The general structure of the caliper is
similar to that of the first embodiment described above. However,
in this embodiment the scale arm extension 16 is fitted with a
setting stop 40 which can be tightened and loosened on the scale
arm extension by operation of a knurled knob 42. The rearward end
of the pointer arm 10 is cut back to a centre line to define a
finger 44 which is intended to abut against the setting stop 40. In
this embodiment the tip of one of the arms, here the pointer arm
10, is provided with a cutting blade, preferably a diamond blade.
This is shown most clearly in the enlarged views of FIGS. 6 and 6A
which shows the tips of the arms both in side elevation and end
elevation. The cutting blade 46 is mounted at the arm tip by a glue
fillet. An epoxy resin may be used such as that known by the trade
mark "Araldite". The length of the cutting blade is approximately 3
mm. It will be seen also that the depth of the tip of the scale arm
12 is less than that of the pointer arm 10 which carries the blade.
The outward face of the tip of the scale arm 12 is flat.
In use, the surgeon will make a small incision in the eye tissue.
Having set the stop 40 to the desired dimension the tips of the
caliper are inserted into the incision and by use of the adjuster
mechanism 20 the tips are moved apart, thereby widening the
incision until the pointer arm finger 44 strikes the stop and the
incision has been enlarged to the correct dimension.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show a third embodiment of caliper in accordance with
the invention. This embodiment is very similar to that shown in
FIG. 5 and 6, except that a cutting blade is mounted at the tip of
each arm 10, 12. These blades are indicated at 46a and 46b. Again,
the blades are glued in place at the tips of the arms. As will be
seen, in this embodiment the tips of the arms are of the same
dimension, as compared with the previous embodiment where the scale
arm tip was substantially slimmer than the other tip. This caliper
is used in substantially the same way as the single blade caliper,
with the provision of the two blades being preferred for certain
surgical procedures. Once the incision has been enlarged by cutting
to the desired dimension then a lens can be inserted into the
eye.
FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of caliper in accordance with the
invention. This again is a double blade caliper, with diamond
blades 46a and 46b. It will be noted from FIG. 9 that the zone
immediately behind each of the blades 46a, 46b is filled with glue,
as indicated at 48, in order not to leave a "step" between the
blade and the caliper arm. The difference between this caliper and
the double-blade caliper of FIGS. 7 and 8 is in the form of the
adjuster mechanism. Here the adjusting knob 30 is positioned
outside the caliper arms instead of mid-way between them. The
adjusting nut 30 is mounted on an adjusting rod 50 which extends
through the pointer arm 10 and is pivotally mounted in the scale
arm 12. In the zone between the caliper arms the adjusting rod is
enclosed by a spring sleeve 52 and by a helical spring 54. By
rotation of the adjusting knob 30 the pointer arm 10 is moved
against the spring bias to any desired setting as indicated by the
rearward end of the pointer arm.
* * * * *